The Google Pixel 3 allows you to easily customize your phone’s wallpaper with your own photos or images from Google’s curated collections. Changing your wallpaper is a great way to personalize your device and make it feel more like your own.
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Steps to Change Your Google Pixel 3 Wallpaper
Changing your Google Pixel 3 wallpaper only takes a few simple steps:
- Long press on any empty area of your home screen
- Tap on Wallpaper & style
- Tap on Change wallpaper
- Select one of the following wallpaper sources:
- My photos – Choose any image from your Google Photos library
- Wallpaper collections – Select from various curated image categories like Landscapes, Textures, Life, or Art
- Daily wallpaper – Have Google automatically change your wallpaper daily
- Tap on an image to preview it
- Tap Set wallpaper at the bottom to confirm
And you’re done! The wallpaper image you selected will be applied to your home and lock screens.
Tips for Choosing Wallpaper Images
When selecting a new wallpaper image for your Pixel 3, keep these tips in mind:
- Resolution – Higher resolution images will look better on the Pixel 3’s sharp 1440 x 2960 screen
- Dimensions – Images with a similar aspect ratio to your Pixel 3’s 18:9 display will fit the screen better without cropping
- File size – Very large image files will be compressed by your Pixel and lose quality
- Color scheme – Pick wallpapers with colors that you find visually appealing
- Minimalism – Avoid images that are too cluttered; simple, clean wallpapers look great on the Pixel 3
Using Your Own Photos as Wallpaper
One of the best things about the Pixel 3 is that you can easily use your own photos for wallpaper. Here’s how:
- Open the Google Photos app
- Find and select a photo you want to use
- Tap on the three-dot menu icon in the upper-right corner
- Choose Use as > Wallpaper
- Adjust the image crop if desired
- Tap Set wallpaper
Almost any photo from Google Photos can be turned into a customized Pixel 3 wallpaper with just a few taps!
Match Your Wallpaper to Always On Display Color
A unique Pixel 3 feature is the ability to have your Always On Display accent colors based on the dominant hues in your wallpaper image.
To enable this:
- Go to Settings > Display
- Tap on Advanced
- Turn on Match colors to wallpaper
Now when you set a new wallpaper, your Always On Display clock and notifications will match that wallpaper’s color theme. This creates a very cohesive and aesthetically pleasing look.
Set Separate Home and Lock Screen Wallpapers
By default, your home screen and lock screen wallpapers are the same image on the Pixel 3. But you can actually set different wallpaper images for each if you want more customization.
To do this:
- Follow the normal wallpaper change steps
- When you tap on an image to preview, tap on Home screen at the top
- Select the wallpaper you want for your home screen
- Tap on Lock screen at the top
- Pick a different image for your lock screen
- Confirm by tapping Set wallpaper
And now your Pixel 3’s home and lock screens can each have their own unique wallpaper image!
Use Live Wallpapers for Animation
The Pixel 3 supports live wallpapers that add subtle animations to your background. To access these:
- Open the Wallpaper picker
- Scroll down and select the Live wallpapers collection
- Tap on a live wallpaper to download and preview it
- Tap Set wallpaper to activate
Now you’ll have an animated backdrop like twinkling stars or light patterns displayed whenever your Pixel 3 screen turns on.
Troubleshooting Wallpaper Issues
If you encounter any problems setting or changing your Google Pixel 3 wallpaper, try the following troubleshooting steps:
- Restart your Pixel 3
- Check that you have sufficient storage space for new wallpaper images
- Make sure the Wallpaper app has permission to access your photos
- Clear the cache and data for the Wallpaper app
- Try setting a wallpaper using a different app like Google Photos
- As a last resort, perform a factory reset on your Pixel 3
Following those steps should resolve any wallpaper-related issues. And that covers the basics of customizing your wallpaper! Feel free to experiment with different images until you find one that you love seeing on your Pixel 3’s display whenever you unlock or wake the screen.
